Lawyer

Systemic Justice is looking for a new colleague who can help communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice across Europe to build and pursue litigation projects. Position type: full-time (4 days per week, 32-hour work week) Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension, based on available funding and organisational needs. Location: Remote, based within the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, or Denmark. Candidates must have the right to work in their country of residence. Compensation: Annual gross salary up to EUR 52.500 + up to 10% pension contribution. The salary may be adjusted down based on the cost of living in the country of the applicant, which means the salary may be lower (but not higher) than the advertised rate. Systemic Justice relies on EUROSTAT to determine cost of living rates in Europe. About Systemic Justice Systemic Justice works to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social and economic justice. We believe that those most impacted by systemic injustices should be at the centre of efforts to dismantle them through the courts. That’s why we partner with communities to co-create and co-implement litigation strategies that challenge the structures perpetuating inequality, injustice and harm. Our approach Strategic litigation is a powerful tool for systemic change, especially when embedded within a campaign for structural change and combined with advocacy, campaigning, and policy work. We do strategic litigation differently by: building the knowledge and power of communities to use the law and courts strategically in their broader pursuit of justice, on their own terms; centring communities and following their lead throughout the litigation process, broadening their access to judicial remedies; and building lasting partnerships that transform traditional power dynamics in legal support and representation. Our legal work There are three streams to the legal work at Systemic Justice. 1. We strengthen the capacity of community groups, organisations and movements campaigning for justice by: co-creating resources and tools on strategic litigation and how it can be used by communities; providing accessible knowledge-building and learning opportunities on strategic litigation; supporting communities to understand and engage with legal strategies and legal processes; and fostering connections between communities and legal practitioners, and supporting the learning of legal practitioners in community-centred approaches. 2. We partner with communities to develop and pursue strategic litigation cases that: transform how strategic litigation serves communities’ needs and campaigns; challenge systemic injustices; establish precedents and make other contributions that benefit broader movements for racial, social, economic and climate justice; and build communities’ capacity to engage with legal processes and access to justice. 3. We promote doing lawyering differently within the legal field by: creating spaces for knowledge sharing and coordination amongst legal practitioners to foster co-learning on more equitable methods of lawyering; nurturing a community of practice focused on anti-oppressive approaches to strategic litigation; supporting the adoption of community-centred approaches to promote greater access to justice for communities, including through fostering collaboration between movements and legal professionals. Through this integrated approach, we aim to fundamentally reshape how the law can be used as a tool for justice – moving from traditional lawyer-led strategic litigation to true partnerships with communities fighting for transformative change and restorative justice. About the role The Lawyer will become an additional key member of Systemic Justice’s existing Legal team, helping ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day delivery of all three legal workstreams. The Legal team currently comprises the Head of Legal, a Lawyer and a Legal Administrative Assistant. Lawyers are line-managed by the Head of Legal. Job description The Lawyer will work alongside the rest of the Legal team to establish and maintain trust-based, equitable partnerships and ways of working with community partners. What you’ll do: Building community knowledge and power Support Systemic Justice’s work in designing, producing and disseminating accessible and multi-lingual resources on strategic litigation and how it can support communities working on racial, social, economic and climate justice. This will include assisting with expanding our Community Toolkit . Deliver introductory modules on strategic litigation to communities. Provide workshops, training, and strategising sessions to support communities’ journeys towards readiness to litigate. Community-driven litigation Develop community-driven, intersectional and integrated litigation, advocacy and communications strategies and plans with community partners, in close collaboration with the Head of Legal. Implement those strategies and plans, along with external counsel as appropriate, ensuring that litigation remains community-driven and values-aligned from conceptualisation to filing, implementation and enforcement. Ensure case management and strategy development are carried out in a transparent, accessible, structured, and accountable way – from opening and managing case files, filing, and structuring documents and data, to drafting, finalising, and overseeing version control of filings and submissions, and ensuring comprehensive documentation throughout the process. Contribute to building and maintaining Systemic Justice's legal networks (such as pro-bono support, legal researchers, and local lawyer connections). Knowledge sharing amongst legal practitioners Participate in and contribute to the ongoing nurturing of our Community of Practice, including through the delivery of projects that promote more equitable models of lawyering. Help share community-driven and trauma-informed practices and lessons learned with the wider legal profession. Work as part of the wider Systemic Justice team Participate in internal activities relevant to building legal knowledge within the Systemic Justice team. Keep Systemic Justice team members informed on the progress of legal projects, and where they can support this work. Participate in internal activities relevant to building and delivering on Systemic Justice’s values, working principles, and organisational strategy (such as retreats, staff meetings, team meetings, etc.). Our work is rooted in our foundational values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice. We are looking for someone who shares these values and for whom the prospect of operationalising these in our day-to-day legal work is an exciting prospect. What we hope you’ll bring: experience practicing as a lawyer within the Council of Europe region; excellent legal research and drafting skills; experience of strategic litigation; a deep understanding of trauma-informed practice; a demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and challenging other forms of oppression; an ability to manage a busy workload, meeting deadlines while paying attention to detail; experience of working with communities affected by racial, social and economic injustice; excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to explain complex legal matters to a variety of audiences and to build trust across different cultural contexts; and experience in designing and delivering training. Our working language is English and written and verbal fluency is essential. Fluency in an additional language is highly desirable. Anticipated impact first six months M onths 1 and 2: onboarding and integration develop a deep understanding of Systemic Justice’s approach to strategic litigation and our community-driven legal work; familiarise yourself with current systems, processes, documentation, and ways of working at Systemic Justice; understand existing work plans, resources, tools, and learning materials; build relationships with team members and community partners, and begin to understand communities in our network and existing work; shadow team members in community conversations and practitioner engagements; and engage with our values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice through team discussions and reflect on how these values manifest in your work. Months 3 and 4: taking ownership begin to manage community-driven litigation projects; deliver workshops and training to community partners; start contributing to the Community of Practice; build independent relationships with key stakeholders; begin contributing to the expansion of our current resources and learning materials; create project plans for upcoming community-driven litigation projects; help manage an effective system for legal know-how and precedents; and develop a clear understanding of our operational values by practicing sustainable work habits, fostering trust and transparency, and taking personal responsibility in your role. Months 5 and 6: driving results lead the development of new litigation projects; demonstrate measurable progress in communities’ litigation readiness journeys and litigation; show clear evidence of building trust with communities and practitioners; contribute insights and recommendations for programme development based on learnings; and embody our values and culture in every aspect of your work, especially in how you centre communities and collaborate with team members to deliver our mission. This role involves significant travel across the Council of Europe region to engage with communities, partners, and team members. Application process Key dates Application deadline: 20 September, 23.59 CEST We expect to do the first round of interviews online in the first week of October and the second one in-person in the second half of October. We are organising an information call, where anyone interested in applying can join and learn more about our organisation, the role, and the process. The call will take place on 15 September at 18.00-18.45 CEST. You can register here . How to apply Your application should consist of your CV, and – instead of a traditional cover letter – a written response to these three questions (max 300 words per answer): Tell us about a time when you worked on litigation that pushed for racial, social, and/or economic justice. What was your role in the case, what did you learn from the process, and what was achieved following the case? Our work is guided by an intersectional approach that recognises how different forms of oppression and discrimination overlap and reinforce each other. Please share an example of how you’ve applied an intersectional lens in your work. Our work is grounded in the expertise, leadership, and lived experiences of those most impacted by racial, social, and economic injustices. Please share an example of a time when your work was driven or guided by the expertise and needs of marginalised communities? Equal opportunities statement Systemic Justice is deeply committed to building an organisation that reflects the communities we work with. We understand that creating transformative change requires bringing together diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise. When we say we want to transform how the law works for communities fighting for justice, we mean transforming who has access to legal careers as well. Decisions related to hiring, compensation, training, evaluating performance, and termination are made fairly and transparently. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees. This commitment to equity extends across every aspect of our employment practices and organisational culture. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the injustices we work to address, as well as people who examine their positionality and take responsibility for creating diverse, equitable, inclusive work environments.